1 Chapter 14 – All is Revealed
'Yes, your good friend, "Professor Amber Nettles"'
Karen's head was spinning. All this unexpected information was wrecking her equilibrium.
'What?' she said frustrated and confused.
'I'm surprised you didn't recognise me when I arrived. After all I have visited you as I truly am, you have seen me like this before,'
'It was you in my room!' Karen said. 'I thought so, but it just didn't seem possible,'
'Let me explain all,' Amber began she had that smile she always did but it was no longer the warming smile it used to be. It was now cold and evil. 'My Lord Voldemort had no need for Mr. Snape so I was sent to destroy him. The original plan was for me to get close, gain his trust then…' she took out her wand and drew it across her own neck. 'Voldemort would be the suspect and I would be the distraught other half and get off scot-free. But… I was found out,' She looked at Snape. 'Snape found out my secret soon after I arrived at Hogwarts and was plotting against me ever since. Before my secret was revealed to the rest of the school I came up with the story of butting in on him in the nude,' she smirked at the thought. 'That bought me the reason for his complete dislike of me. Our Master and myself decided that I was to just get the job over with and try and escape before the Dementors found me,' she walked right up to Karen. 'But then you came along and when I found out you were a muggle I knew we could have some fun,' She moved back to Voldemort. 'Push you two together,' she said, and then looked to Karen. 'You told me yourself that things were happening too fast between you and him.' Karen was silent. 'I charmed the two of you,' she said grinning menacingly. 'Muggle relationships aren't acceptable in our circle. Master then has a decent reason to kill Severus,' she looked at him then again at Karen. 'He doesn't just kill at whim y'know? He only does it if he has a reason,'
'And that makes its alright then?' Karen spat.
'That's it! You're first!' Amber snapped and pointed her wand at Karen. Suddenly it was as if the world had gone into slow motion. Karen saw Amber, she saw her lips move, she saw her wand explode with a bright green light. But somehow she yanked herself free of the death-eaters grasp and fell to the ground. She rolled over, got to her feet and dived into the trees. Things moved a bit more quickly again. 'GET HER!' Karen heard Amber shout. Her hands still tied behind her she ran and hid behind a wide- trunked tree. She could hear a couple of death-eaters traipsing through the bushes looking for her. They got nearer and nearer and just as they were either side of her tree she heard Ambers voice again.
'Leave her! Come back here!'
The two death-eaters turned and went back to their places in the circle. Karen sighed with relief. She couldn't undo the magical ropes binding her hands behind her back. But she had an idea. She sat on the ground and tucked her knees in and very awkwardly and ungracefully she got her arms under her arse, under her legs and back to where they should be, her wrists still bound though. 'KAREN!' She spun round on the spot. 'I know you're in there!' Amber was shouting to her. 'I thought you might like to come and watch something. Your beloved is about to be killed! But don't worry, you'll be joining him soon!'
'Sevi!' Karen whispered. 'Oh, no,'
She shuffled closer to the clearing, still hidden from view. She hid behind a thick bush that was right behind Amber. Amber had moved from the centre of the circle and was now holding tightly to Snape. Voldemort, who was still in the centre, had his wand raised and pointing in Snape's direction.
'Goodbye Severus Snape!'
Karen quickly glanced around her and saw a bit of wood. On impulse alone she picked it up and jumped out from behind the bush. She whacked Amber on the back of the head causing her to let her grip go of Snape. Voldemort screamed 'AVADA KEDAVRA!'
'GET DOWN!' Karen bellowed and Snape dropped to his knees. Amber was hit by the green curse and fell backwards (Karen hopped to the side to get out of Ambers way) and she hit the ground with a thud. Everyone was stunned and in complete silence. Karen looked from Amber to Voldemort. Voldemort looked from Snape to Amber to Karen. Snape got up and looked from Amber to Karen.
'Run,' Karen said plainly. The second she and Snape made a dash for the trees, Voldemort and the death-eaters erupted. Karen and Snape ducked and dived dodging the green flashes of the death-eaters curses. They got so far into the forest when Snape stopped suddenly and listened.
'What?' Karen asked.
'I think we're safe,' Snape replied. They walked on a bit; Karen stopped, leant on a tree and spoke.
'I can't believe it,' she said staring into the forest. 'I thought Amber was my friend, and he killed her. Voldemort killed her,'
Snape went and sat on a tree stump. 'I know,' he said. There was a short silence until he spoke again. 'I can't believe you're a muggle?'
Karen turned and looked at him. 'I wanted to tell you. I was going to tell you tonight,'
Snape just shook his head and looked into the forest. With his hands still tied behind his back he stood up and lost his balance slightly. 'Damn things,' he tried looking over his shoulder at his hands. 'If only I had my wand,'
Karen thought for a second, and then stepped away from the tree.
'Will this help?' She pulled a wand out that was tucked in her belt.
'How the hell did you get that?' Snape said glaring at Karen.
'I stole it from that death-eater who was holding me. I felt it digging into my back, as I rolled away, I just took it from his pocket,'
Snape shook his head again. 'Pass it here,' he said and Karen put it into Snape's hands. He turned it a bit so that he could get it to point at the magical ropes and said what Karen thought was "Rhinoceros". His arms left his sides and he rubbed his wrists. Karen held out her hands and Snape looked at her, then at her hands and did the Rhinoceros spell again.
'Thanks,' Karen said. She smiled at Snape and he smiled back.
'Yes, your good friend, "Professor Amber Nettles"'
Karen's head was spinning. All this unexpected information was wrecking her equilibrium.
'What?' she said frustrated and confused.
'I'm surprised you didn't recognise me when I arrived. After all I have visited you as I truly am, you have seen me like this before,'
'It was you in my room!' Karen said. 'I thought so, but it just didn't seem possible,'
'Let me explain all,' Amber began she had that smile she always did but it was no longer the warming smile it used to be. It was now cold and evil. 'My Lord Voldemort had no need for Mr. Snape so I was sent to destroy him. The original plan was for me to get close, gain his trust then…' she took out her wand and drew it across her own neck. 'Voldemort would be the suspect and I would be the distraught other half and get off scot-free. But… I was found out,' She looked at Snape. 'Snape found out my secret soon after I arrived at Hogwarts and was plotting against me ever since. Before my secret was revealed to the rest of the school I came up with the story of butting in on him in the nude,' she smirked at the thought. 'That bought me the reason for his complete dislike of me. Our Master and myself decided that I was to just get the job over with and try and escape before the Dementors found me,' she walked right up to Karen. 'But then you came along and when I found out you were a muggle I knew we could have some fun,' She moved back to Voldemort. 'Push you two together,' she said, and then looked to Karen. 'You told me yourself that things were happening too fast between you and him.' Karen was silent. 'I charmed the two of you,' she said grinning menacingly. 'Muggle relationships aren't acceptable in our circle. Master then has a decent reason to kill Severus,' she looked at him then again at Karen. 'He doesn't just kill at whim y'know? He only does it if he has a reason,'
'And that makes its alright then?' Karen spat.
'That's it! You're first!' Amber snapped and pointed her wand at Karen. Suddenly it was as if the world had gone into slow motion. Karen saw Amber, she saw her lips move, she saw her wand explode with a bright green light. But somehow she yanked herself free of the death-eaters grasp and fell to the ground. She rolled over, got to her feet and dived into the trees. Things moved a bit more quickly again. 'GET HER!' Karen heard Amber shout. Her hands still tied behind her she ran and hid behind a wide- trunked tree. She could hear a couple of death-eaters traipsing through the bushes looking for her. They got nearer and nearer and just as they were either side of her tree she heard Ambers voice again.
'Leave her! Come back here!'
The two death-eaters turned and went back to their places in the circle. Karen sighed with relief. She couldn't undo the magical ropes binding her hands behind her back. But she had an idea. She sat on the ground and tucked her knees in and very awkwardly and ungracefully she got her arms under her arse, under her legs and back to where they should be, her wrists still bound though. 'KAREN!' She spun round on the spot. 'I know you're in there!' Amber was shouting to her. 'I thought you might like to come and watch something. Your beloved is about to be killed! But don't worry, you'll be joining him soon!'
'Sevi!' Karen whispered. 'Oh, no,'
She shuffled closer to the clearing, still hidden from view. She hid behind a thick bush that was right behind Amber. Amber had moved from the centre of the circle and was now holding tightly to Snape. Voldemort, who was still in the centre, had his wand raised and pointing in Snape's direction.
'Goodbye Severus Snape!'
Karen quickly glanced around her and saw a bit of wood. On impulse alone she picked it up and jumped out from behind the bush. She whacked Amber on the back of the head causing her to let her grip go of Snape. Voldemort screamed 'AVADA KEDAVRA!'
'GET DOWN!' Karen bellowed and Snape dropped to his knees. Amber was hit by the green curse and fell backwards (Karen hopped to the side to get out of Ambers way) and she hit the ground with a thud. Everyone was stunned and in complete silence. Karen looked from Amber to Voldemort. Voldemort looked from Snape to Amber to Karen. Snape got up and looked from Amber to Karen.
'Run,' Karen said plainly. The second she and Snape made a dash for the trees, Voldemort and the death-eaters erupted. Karen and Snape ducked and dived dodging the green flashes of the death-eaters curses. They got so far into the forest when Snape stopped suddenly and listened.
'What?' Karen asked.
'I think we're safe,' Snape replied. They walked on a bit; Karen stopped, leant on a tree and spoke.
'I can't believe it,' she said staring into the forest. 'I thought Amber was my friend, and he killed her. Voldemort killed her,'
Snape went and sat on a tree stump. 'I know,' he said. There was a short silence until he spoke again. 'I can't believe you're a muggle?'
Karen turned and looked at him. 'I wanted to tell you. I was going to tell you tonight,'
Snape just shook his head and looked into the forest. With his hands still tied behind his back he stood up and lost his balance slightly. 'Damn things,' he tried looking over his shoulder at his hands. 'If only I had my wand,'
Karen thought for a second, and then stepped away from the tree.
'Will this help?' She pulled a wand out that was tucked in her belt.
'How the hell did you get that?' Snape said glaring at Karen.
'I stole it from that death-eater who was holding me. I felt it digging into my back, as I rolled away, I just took it from his pocket,'
Snape shook his head again. 'Pass it here,' he said and Karen put it into Snape's hands. He turned it a bit so that he could get it to point at the magical ropes and said what Karen thought was "Rhinoceros". His arms left his sides and he rubbed his wrists. Karen held out her hands and Snape looked at her, then at her hands and did the Rhinoceros spell again.
'Thanks,' Karen said. She smiled at Snape and he smiled back.